Infant and Child Safety

Each year, an
estimated 8.7 million children and teens from birth to age 19 are treated in
emergency departments (EDs) for unintentional injuries and more than 9,000 die
as a result of their injuries—one every hour (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention [CDC], 2013). The statistic is staggering. Every hour, a preventable
injury takes the life of a child. While we have made great strides in
reducing the rate of child deaths as a result of injury over the last decade,
sadly this is still the #1 killer of children and teens in the United States.
Injuries often occur in predictable ways and can be completely avoided with
parental supervision, education, awareness and planning. Common causes of fatal
and nonfatal childhood injuries include: falls, transportation and pedestrian
related injuries, drowning, fires or burns, poisoning, and suffocation.